Four Seasons, Four Loves
by x.SodeNoZangetsu.x
Summary: Collection of IchiRuki oneshots. Post Winter War. Updated seasonally. Love changes with the cycle of seasons. It builds in the Summer, is harvested in the Fall, warms in the Winter and buds into a full-fledged romance by Spring. Love is expressed with the cycle of seasons. Love is ever-changing; as with the seasons.
1. Summer

.:Four Seasons, Four Loves:.

* * *

**Summer: Festival**

"_Even the usual night breeze feels refined…"_

"Just where are we going again, Ichigo?" the half-annoyed-half-curious petite Shinigami questioned, following the orange-headed teen down the streets on a hot June day.

"I told you this morning; we're going to buy fireworks," Ichigo replied, an underlying hint of annoyance in his tone.

"And I told _you_ this morning that I don't know what these 'fireworks' are," Rukia snapped, matching his annoyance.

Ichigo sighed and dug his hands into his shorts' pockets before answering, "You'll just have to wait 'til we get there. Won't be much longer."

The Winter War was finally over and had indeed taken up all of winter and had even carried on to early spring. As Ichigo continued the walk to the fireworks shop, he realized this was the first summer without any troubles in a long time. Glancing down to Rukia beside him, he realized it was also the first summer they would spend together. Before, there had been the trip to Soul Society to rescue her that had taken his whole summer, and then there was the ordeal with Inoue in Hueco Mundo and the beginnings of the Winter War the following summer. Ichigo knew there would no doubt be the occasional Hollow interfering with this summer, but the sense of almost-normalcy was nice. He could handle spare Hollows, he wasn't sure about anything more than that.

Two summers passing meant that it had already been almost two years since Rukia entered his life, two years since he became a Shinigami. He knew he was dangerously close to losing his powers after using the Final Getsuga Tenshou to defeat Aizen, and he knew that when he did end up losing his powers completely, he would lose the ability to see spirits, meaning losing the ability to see Rukia as well. It was clear to everyone how deep a bond the both of them shared with the other, but it seemed only Rukia and Ichigo weren't aware of just _how_ close they had become. Ichigo had briefly considered the fact that Rukia may be more than just a friend to him now, but once his thoughts became slightly awkward, he discarded them completely. He'd cross that bridge when—if, he reminded himself—he came to it.

Ichigo was desperately hoping that the peace after the Winter War would last. Rukia had been in the World of the Living for almost two years intermittently, yet she still hadn't experienced many human customs. This was the reason the two were now walking into downtown Karakura, in order to buy fireworks for the annual Summer Festival. Ichigo had missed showing Rukia the "wonders" of the human world and was looking forward to being able to do so again.

A bell above the door they entered ringed as they walked in. The running air conditioner was a relief after the walk there. It was only late June, and already the heat was on the verge of record-breaking. July was gonna be _awesome_, Ichigo thought sarcastically.

"All of these boxes are fireworks?" Rukia asked, scanning the ten different aisles in the store and the plentiful boxes stacked on each and every one of the shelves.

"Yup," Ichigo replied, heading down one of the aisles, grabbing a basket as he did so.

Rukia followed silently as she watched Ichigo pick up many different boxes and place them in the basket. She guessed that there were different kinds of fireworks since there were so many of them here and because the boxes Ichigo had in the basket were all different.

"So…" Rukia spoke up once again, "What are all these fireworks for, if you won't tell me what they are?"

"The Summer Festival," Ichigo said. "The town throws it every year to celebrate the first day of summer, which is today. There're fireworks," Ichigo said as he gestured to his basket, "music, dancing, and a lot of food. It's basically a huge party down by the river."

"It's tonight?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo nodded. "My dad and sisters usually have a food stall where they sell sweets that Yuzu bakes. I usually tag along with them and join my friends eventually, but this year I was hoping I could take you. I think you'd like it, and it's something you haven't seen in this world yet."

Okay, so it wasn't the greatest of proposals, but then again, Ichigo had never been a suave guy, and nothing in their relationship had ever followed the guidelines of normal relationships.

"I'd love to come, Ichigo," Rukia exclaimed, smiling up at him.

Ichigo granted her a small smile in return. "Good."

XxX

Ichigo and Rukia returned home in the late afternoon. Immediately as they walked in, they could tell Yuzu was baking and getting ready for tonight.

"We're back with some fireworks," Ichigo announced as he set them by the door, where some tins of Yuzu's delicacies were already waiting.

"Well, go and get changed my boy, we have to leave soon to set up the stall!" Isshin exclaimed as he pranced from the kitchen to his bedroom—no doubt to get changed himself.

"Changed?" Rukia asked, as the two headed to Ichigo's room.

"Yeah, everyone wears kimonos at the festival. I have no idea why, but it's custom, so everyone follows it," Ichigo answered. "You can borrow one of Yuzu's I'm assuming. She probably has several."

They split at the door to Ichigo's room. Ichigo opened his dresser and pulled out the only kimono he owned. It was black with white lines crisscrossing to make a design and a red sash to tie. It was simple, but Ichigo wasn't a fan of getting dressed up. This simplicity was all he needed.

Once he was changed, Ichigo observed himself in the mirror. He noticed the neckline of it was so deep that several of his wounds that had scarred over were showing. He wasn't self-conscious of them necessarily, but that didn't mean he didn't like showing them off. Oh well. He scared kids anyway with his demeanor and orange hair, what more will a few scars do?

Huffing, he headed down the hall to the twins' room.

"Rukia? You ready?" he asked as he knocked on the door.

Rukia opened the door and Ichigo stood there dumbfounded once he got a good look at her.

The kimono she was wearing was a baby pink with yellow and orange flowers decorating it, more grouped together on her left shoulder and down the sides. The sash was also orange and she had it tied in an elegant bow compared to his simple knot. She also had her hair up in a short ponytail which nearly hung over her shoulder and matching orange and yellow flowers in her hair.

She looked…beautiful, Ichigo thought. The way she looked now he could only compare to the first time he saw her sword's release. How she looked with the snow falling gently around her having just won her first battle with her regained powers.

"You… You look…"

Rukia smiled, a small blush tinting her cheeks with the way Ichigo was looking at her.

"Nice?" Rukia offered as an ending to his previous statement.

"Y-Yeah," Ichigo mumbled, cursing himself for stuttering like a fool in front of her.

Rukia had just taken the time to notice the look of admiration and awe his eyes as well as something deeper—passion, maybe?—when he blinked, and his eyes regained their normal, hard-to-read face, the amber irises now holding nothing but observation.

"So, you ready to go?" he finally asked again.

Rukia only nodded as she followed Ichigo back downstairs to meet up with his sisters and father before all five of them left together.

XxX

When they arrived at the riverbank, Rukia was able to truly get a sense of how big this festival actually was. Many stalls—most still empty as the day was still young—lined the bank, children splashed around in the river with their parents watching close by, other kids flew kites from atop a hill, and another group had a small soccer match going.

Ichigo and Rukia helped set up the family's stall before they headed off on their own. Rukia followed Ichigo to the river where he stopped, a look of great concentration crossing his features.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said after several minutes went by in silence. "Why are you just standing there? Staring at nothing?"

She saw Ichigo shrug. "I don't know; just taking the time to bask in the fact that we aren't in a state of emergency or anything. There's no war going on, nobody fighting, no one getting hurt. It's been so long since it's been like this, it's bizarre and I just need to take a moment to realize that this is real."

"It is different," Rukia agreed. "It's hard to believe that the past two years happened."

"I'm glad they did, though," Ichigo said." Otherwise I wouldn't be a Shinigami and be able to protect those I love. I wouldn't have all this power and I wouldn't have met you."

Rukia smiled at his words. "I'm glad they happened too, Ichigo; and I'm glad you don't regret anything that happened."

Ichigo looked at her curiously. "Why would I regret anything?"

Rukia shrugged. "I don't know. Just the fact that you could have lived a normal teenaged life, but instead you were thrust into this completely different world with all this responsibility and pain."

"My life wasn't normal to begin with," he said. "Seeing ghosts isn't a 'normal teenaged life'."

"True," Rukia muttered.

"What's happened has happened," he said with a sigh. "No point dwelling on it any longer. It's had its perks and its downfalls, but I believe whole-heartedly that the pros outweigh the cons," he finished, giving her a smile.

Rukia matched his smile as the pair went back to staring out to the river, taking the time to be truly grateful of the fact that they were still alive.

XxX

"Ichigo, this is amazing!" Rukia exclaimed.

Dusk had now set in and the Summer Festival was in full swing. Live bands had spread evenly across the plain and were now playing music, people dancing in front of each. All the stalls were now open for business. Some were selling flowers, some produce, some fresh meat and fish. Others had games, crafts and gifts. Then there were several like the Kurosaki's; filled with home-made goodies. Kids ran by with sparklers and chased each other wearing hand-made masks. Rukia took the time to soak it all in. It was so different than any festival she had attending in Soul Society. Back in Hanging Dog, nothing like this had ever happened, and nothing in Seireitei was as upscale as this.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself," Ichigo said from his place next to her, a smirk on his face.

"I don't know what to do first," Rukia mumbled, looking from one stall to another.

"Well, take your pick; we're here all night."

Rukia decided to play some games first so they headed over to a ring-toss stall. Rukia wasn't very good at it, but with Ichigo's help they eventually walked away with a prize. There was also a stall which had a darts, basketball—which Rukia learned was a very fun American sport—and a water racing game. Rukia liked the water game the best. Not only because she could beat Ichigo every time, but because it was just downright fun. After beating Ichigo for the fifth time in a row, Rukia had walked away with a very giant stuffed rabbit, Ichigo pouting alongside her.

"I can't believe I didn't win once," he grumbled.

Rukia laughed. "You just don't have a good aim like I do, I guess."

"You kept kicking me!" Ichigo remarked. "How am I supposed to keep the stream trailed on the button if you keep kicking my shins?"

"Sometimes you have to do what it takes to win," Rukia smugly stated.

"Do what it takes…" Ichigo mumbled under his breath.

They had returned to his family's stall to unload their prizes. Ichigo had adamantly declined to carry around Rukia's giant toy the rest of the night.

"So, how do you like the festival, Rukia?" Yuzu asked. "Having fun?"

"You bet, Yuzu! This is unlike anything I've ever seen!"

"Wait 'til the fireworks happen," Karin added, popping a cookie into her mouth. "They're the best part."

Rukia looked to Ichigo. "Are you going to keep me in suspense all night Ichigo?" she asked. "Why won't you tell me what fireworks are?"

"Wait and see, midget!" he quipped. "You only have two more hours!"

"I can't wait two hours, strawberry!"

Karin and Yuzu shared a knowing smile with each other as they listened to Ichigo and Rukia bicker on.

Like always, Ichigo and Rukia calmed down quickly and went back to participating in the festivities. They sampled all the food from the different stalls and Ichigo even joined in a game of soccer with the younger kids, Rukia cheering him on from the sidelines.

Rukia smiled as she saw Ichigo interact with the kids playing soccer. Although he tried his best to hide it, Ichigo really did have a warm heart. She often saw his affections for his sisters, but he rarely showed it to anyone else. Rukia gave a hearty laugh as she watched the kids tackle Ichigo to the ground after he made a goal for his team. Rukia could tell he was having a good time. It was so different to see him outside of his "Shinigami-mode"; she forgot he was just a fifteen-year-old (now seventeen-year-old) kid himself. Throughout their battles in Hueco Mundo and the Winter War, Rukia had a hard time remembering he was younger than she was by a great margin. It was easy to forget with the way he carried the weight of everyone on his shoulders alone and fought with such great courage and strength.

"No, Ichi-san, don't leave!" a kid's cry cut across Rukia's thoughts.

She looked up to see a kid on Ichigo's shoulders and a group standing in front of him on the ground. All of them had pouts on their faces.

"I'm sorry guys, but I have other places to be and people to see," he said, sincerity in his voice.

Rukia saw him glance in her direction and then sweat dropped as ten little pairs of eyes turned her way too.

"Ooooooooh!" the kids crooned as their little brains worked out what Ichigo had meant.

"Ichi-san has a date!" one girl squealed.

"That's lame," a boy pouted. "We're cooler than some girl."

Ichigo laughed as he squatted to their level. "You won't always think that, believe me."

"But girls are icky!" another one claimed.

"Give it a few years," he said, ruffling the kid's hair.

"Ichi-san, do you like that girl? Like like-like her?" the boy on his shoulders asked.

Rukia didn't exactly catch all the last boy had said, due to the fact that he was trying to whisper into Ichigo's ear. She did know they were still talking about her, but knew it couldn't be anything bad since Ichigo now had a prominent blush on his face. All the girls let out a collective "awwww!" as he did so.

"Maybe I do," Ichigo responded. "What's it to you, kid?" he joked, shrugging his shoulders to make the boy bounce.

The boy was laughing as Ichigo set him back on the ground. He gave them a wave before Rukia realized he was headed her way.

"Sorry for the diversion," he said.

Rukia shook her head. "Don't be," she replied. "It was fun to watch."

"Glad my lacking soccer skills didn't put you to sleep. Now come on, the fireworks should be starting soon."

Rukia lit up at that. "Great!"

As they were walking back through the crowd, something caught Rukia's eye.

"Ichigo, what are those?" she asked, pointing to the sparklers the kids were playing with.

"Those are sparklers. They are a type of hand-held firework. You light the end of the stick with a match and they emit flames, sparks and even colors if you have a specific kind," he explained.

"Can I get one?" Rukia asked.

"Sure," Ichigo responded. "It will be like your sneak-preview of real fireworks."

Purchasing a sparkler from a stall, Ichigo handed Rukia the unlit stick.

"Now hold it still while I light it," he said, grabbing a lighter off the stall.

Rukia watched Ichigo light the sparkler and jumped with the sparks started to fly.

"Woah!" she exclaimed, holding the stick away from her. "I won't get burned from this, will I?" she asked as she watched the embers bounce off every which way.

Ichigo shook his head. "Nah, it doesn't hurt if it lands on you. Just keep it away from your face."  
"This is awesome!" she chimed.

Ichigo just chuckled as he watched her dance around with the sparkler. She looked so happy, something which had been hard to come by lately. Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he had seen Rukia look this happy. _Truly_ happy. Happiness was nowhere to be found during the war, and even on the rare chance it came by, it wasn't to last. There had been so much hurt in the past year, Ichigo was surprised anyone had been able to move on so quickly. But now, as Ichigo watched the sparkler reflecting in Rukia's eyes, her face lit up in an orange glow, he knew that moving on was possible. Things would be able to return to normal.

But for how long, Ichigo thought grimly, before shaking his head and dispelling the thought. Tonight was not the time for that. Tonight was the time to show Rukia a good time and enjoy the start of summer.

"The sparkler died," Rukia pulled him from his thoughts.

"Oh. Well they do that eventually," he said. "Want another one?"

Before she could reply, a voice came over a loud speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come! The Summer Festival fireworks show will begin momentarily! Please make you way to the river and enjoy the show!"

The crowd broke out into dozens of cheers. Rukia smiled. Finally! She would be able to find out what these fireworks are!

"Come on," Ichigo said, grabbing her hand. "We have to go get a spot."

Rukia willingly followed him but noticed they were headed in the opposite direction of everyone else.

"Um, Ichigo, isn't the river the other way?" she spoke up.

"It is, but I have my own spot where I watch the fireworks from. It has a better view, you'll see."

Rukia didn't question him and continued to let him pull her along. After he kept walking however and the river was getting further and further away, Rukia began to get curious again.

"We're going awfully far away, Ichigo. Will we even be able to see the fireworks?" she questioned.

"You don't give me enough credit, Rukia," Ichigo chuckled. "I promise you'll still be able to see them. And once you do, you'll realize that even if I took you back to my house, you would still be able to see them."

"So they're big?"

"Extremely."

Curiosity peaked and faith in Ichigo restored, Rukia continued to follow him, never once letting go of his hand.

Eventually, they began to climb a hill. Once reaching the top, Rukia realized part of the reason Ichigo had brought her here. Ishida, Inoue, Chad, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo were all atop the hill as well.

"Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun! You all made it!" Inoue exclaimed upon seeing them.

"Told you we wouldn't miss it, Inoue," Ichigo responded.

"You ever see fireworks before, Kuchiki-san?" Keigo inquired, sidling up to Rukia's side, much to Ichigo's annoyance.

She shook her head. "Never. I'm really excited."

Keigo beamed. "You'll love it!" he cried. "And you get even the least bit scared, don't hesitate to grab onto me!"

Ichigo hit Keigo on the head before pulling Rukia away from him and towards the edge of the hill. As they approached the edge, Rukia noticed the other reason Ichigo had brought her here.

The city of Karakura lay out before them, its many buildings lighting the night sky. Immediately below them was the river which Rukia could follow through the city reflecting the city's lights every turn it took.

"Wow, this view is amazing, Ichigo," she uttered, staring out before her.

"Right?" Ichigo agreed. "I found this place a few years ago. I used to come here after a rough day and just relax or cool down. It's really peaceful during the day and when there isn't a festival going on at night. Once word got out about it, my friends and I started coming here each year to watch the fireworks. You get a much better view up here than down by the river we think."

"Guys, it's starting," Inoue called, pointing out by the river.

Rukia followed her finger to see people on the bridge. She could see something was on fire, but before she had a chance to say anything to Ichigo about it, a piercing scream cut across the sky only to end up exploding up in the sky in a beautiful array of color before fading into the night.

BOOM!

Rukia jumped as the ground shook beneath her. She looked up to Ichigo only to see him smiling up at the sky. Either he hadn't noticed the ground shake, or that was all part of these "fireworks".

Soon, another scream cried out and another burst lit the night sky, this time in a bright yellow which illuminated the entire park. Rukia noticed the ground shook again, however this time it was less noticeable. Whether it was because she had been expecting it this time or something different, she didn't know.

At first it was just one-by-one, but soon, fireworks were shooting up left and right. The sky was alight in dozens of colors and Rukia found the sight to be truly breath-taking. Each time a firework was set off, she could feel the vibration deep in her chest. Each one was reflected off the river below, giving them double the show from their place above the hill.

Rukia didn't notice Ichigo eyeing her the entire time, a smile on his face; she was too busy making sure she didn't miss anything.

"Look, Ichigo! That one looked like a star!"

Ichigo pulled his attention away from her and paid more attention to the show. Well, at least she wasn't afraid of fireworks like Yuzu had been for so many years.

"Sure beats those sparklers, huh?" he leaned over to ask her.

"By a lot!" she exclaimed back. "How do they do this? How do they make the star one?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Don't question it, just enjoy it."

Rukia turned away and continued watching. A few minutes later, the big finale started. Dozens and dozens of bright fireworks were sent up at the same time, lighting up the sky with millions of crackles and giving off the image of dozens of cameras flashing at once. Rukia had to squint it was so bright. After the crackling and flashes stopped, one last, lone firework was sent up way into the night. At first Rukia thought it was a dud since it didn't explode immediately. She was taken by surprise when it did seconds later.

BOOM!

It was the biggest firework of all. As multi-colored embers fell around them, Rukia looked back to Ichigo to see his figure cast in a rainbow glow. Soon it faded, and the park was left in a deaf silence only briefly before everyone down below broke out into applause.

"That was amazing!" Rukia said for the umpteenth time that night.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Ichigo said. "That's why I never told you what they were. I knew you'd like them and I didn't want to take away from your first time. It's kind of hard to describe their splendor anyway. Best just to observe."

"Well, now I'm glad you kept me in the dark," Rukia told him. "It was a great surprise, although the first once nearly scared me to death."

Ichigo chuckled. "Maybe I could have mentioned they're loud."

"Now what?" Rukia shrugged. "Is that it?"

Ichigo shook his head. He pointed to the crowd.

"What are they doing?" Rukia asked as she watched everyone appear to be lighting something.

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo turned to see Ishida approaching them with a paper lantern.

"Thanks, Ishida." Ichigo took the lantern and a couple of matches from him before their friend headed back over to the group.

"What do we do with this?" Rukia asked.

"We light it and then send it up to the sky," Ichigo explained. "It's kind of like performing Konso on a Soul."

He handed the lantern to Rukia who studied it.

It was square in shape and incredibly light; although Rukia guessed it was supposed to be if it was meant to go up into the sky. It had a design on each of its four sides which Rukia recognized as Karakura's seal. Ichigo struck a match and lit a small circle inside of it. Holding it with one hand, he looked to Rukia.

"On the count of three, let go, okay?"

Rukia only nodded.

"One…two…_three_!"

Rukia let go of it and watched in astonishment as it lifted above their heads. She craned her neck to watch it ascend and that's when she noticed all the other lanterns in the sky.

Everyone had or was busy releasing one. The crowd down below was now a mass of orange light and Rukia looked over to Inoue and Tatsuki as they released theirs. Looking back to hers and Ichigo's, she felt Ichigo come up behind her and grab her hand.

"Have a good time?" he asked.

Rukia trained her attention on him.

"The best," she replied. "Can we do this again next summer?"

"You bet," Ichigo said with a squeeze of her hand.

It wasn't even a question of if there was going to be a next year. There wasn't any worry that something would take next summer away from them. Tonight it was just Ichigo and Rukia and the lanterns above them, indicating a serene summer was to come, with peace and tranquility sure to follow.

_You bet._

* * *

**See you all in the fall!**


	2. Fall

**Okay, so this season may be OOC, but I've been absent in the Bleach community for some time now and have lost my touch for writing these characters. However, I refuse to leave a story unfinished, so I present to you this addition.**

* * *

**Fall: Bonfire**

"_Heartfelt cheers pushing our backs…"_

"Ichigo, what's a _schmore_?"

Ichigo looked over the brim of the book he was reading, an incredulous look on his face.

"A what?" he asked.

Rukia huffed. "A _samoah_," she repeated, articulating it differently this time. "Inoue said it's a kind of food."

Rukia pictured a light bulb lighting up above Ichigo's head by the look that lit up his face.

"It's pronounced _s'more_, Rukia," he said with a chuckle.

"Well how was I supposed to know?" she defended. "I don't know what it is!"

"It's a kind of dessert," he explained. "You take two crackers, a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow and make a sandwich out of it."

"Marshmallow…" Rukia mumbled. "Those are the white things you put in hot chocolate, right?"

Ichigo nodded his affirmation. "Why do you ask?"

"Inoue said she was happy it's finally autumn so she can make s'mores again," she said. "Can you only make them in the fall?"

"Not necessarily. People just usually make them this time of year because you make them over a fire. They're great for bonfires."

"What kind of fire is that?"

Ichigo sweat-dropped.

XxX

"Great idea about the bonfire, Ichigo!" Keigo exclaimed as they worked to make a large pile of wood. "It's a great way to ring in the season!"

"Don't be impressed, Keigo," Ishida spoke up. "He's just trying to show off to Rukia."

"Shut your mouth, Ishida," Ichigo glared, a blush tinting his cheeks.

A few minutes later the boys had assembled a great amount of wood encircled by smooth round stones.

"I'll go get the matches," Keigo said. "Ishida, you go get the stuff for the s'mores and Ichigo you go get the girls and we'll get this party started!"

"Fire's ready to be lit, you all," Ichigo announced upon walking inside Keigo's house.

"Great!" Inoue lit up. "We're making s'mores right?"

"Ishida's getting the stuff," Ichigo replied.

"I'll go help him! I brought some bean paste to put on them too!"

As Inoue skipped into the kitchen, Ichigo leaned over to Rukia.

"Do not let her put that stuff on your s'mores," he whispered.

"Will do," she quipped.

They walked back outside to see Keigo prodding the fire and Mizuiro throwing wads of newspaper into it. The four were soon joined by Ishida, Inoue, Tatsuki and Chad who was carrying a load of blankets.

Ichigo spread a blanket out beside the fire before prompting Rukia to sit. Taking her place by the fire, she grabbed a nearby stick and stuck it into the fire.

"Is the fire supposed to be this big?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo responded. "That's the point of a bonfire; they're huge."

"So what's the deal with these s'mores?"

"You're just full of questions tonight, aren't you?" Ichigo questioned with a smirk.

Rukia matched his with her own. "Isn't that the point of tonight? To show me new things?"

"Yeah, but don't question everything, just enjoy it as it comes."

"But we're not doing anything," Rukia pointed out as she looked around the fire.

It was true; everyone was just sitting around talking at the moment.

"Well, typically bonfires are a type of gathering. It's like a smaller version of the Summer Festival," he explained. "You socialize as well as make s'mores."

Rukia gave Ichigo a look. "You humans sure have some weird traditions."

"Shut up," he playfully nudged her. "You'll like it. It's not as silly as the Easter Bunny, I promise."

"_That's _just bizarre."

Ichigo just chuckled again and shook his head. "Keigo!" he hollered, catching the boy's attention. "Pass me the ingredients for the s'mores, will ya?"

"We'll just skip the socializing and skip right to the good part then, okay?" he addressed her.

Rukia smiled. Ichigo handed her the bag of marshmallows and set the box of crackers between them. He then handed her a wire coat hanger which had been bent to form a straight line.

"What do I do with this?" Rukia asked, holding the offending object out in front of her.

"You put the marshmallow on it," he said, demonstrating. "Then you hold it over the fire."

Rukia followed his example and stuck her wire over the fire. Soon, the marshmallow was on fire.

"Ichigo! It's on fire!" she exclaimed, waving it around and causing their friends to laugh.

"Well don't shake it!" he yelled. "It'll fly off and hurt someone!"

Ichigo blew out the fire to leave a black, crispy wad of sugar. He huffed.

"Try again." He handed her another one.

He let his sit over the fire for a brief moment before pulling it back. It was a golden brown.

"Now _that's_ a perfectly roasted marshmallow," he gloated, waving it in Rukia's face.

"Show off…"

In the end, Ichigo ended up roasting Rukia's marshmallow to avoid another fire and so they could move on to the next step faster.

"Once you have your marshmallow done," he pulled two crackers out of the box before reaching for a Hershey bar, "break off some chocolate and put it on a cracker."

He watched Rukia pull this step off with no trouble.

"Then, place the marshmallow on top of the chocolate, place the top cracker on top, apply some pressure and slide the hanger out."

Rukia, of course, ended up breaking her cracker.

"This is hard!" she whined. "You didn't tell me there was work involved!"

"It's not work once you get the hang of it," Ichigo replied. "It still tastes the same."

"That's it?" Rukia asked, giving it the once-over.

"It's not supposed to be a grandeur meal or anything," he sighed. "Just shut up and eat it."

Rukia did so and immediately her eyes lit up.

"This is amazing!" she said, taking another bite of it.

Ichigo watched her as he ate his own, relishing in her joy and amusement. It was the same as the night of the festival. He had truly missed her innocence. Tough, Shinigami Rukia was pleasant to be around, but child-like Rukia was better. She wasn't putting on a front, didn't have any weight on her shoulders, she was just being herself.

"Ichigo, I just got marshmallow in my hair!"

Her stupid, stupid self.


End file.
